Corrugated display rack



7 June 19, 1923.

G. C. MACDONALD CORRUGATED DISPLAY RACK 1'322 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledMarch 25 WM n m m @00 by 5W mm 19, 1923. j 3 1,459,706

vG. C. MACDONALD CORRUGATED DISPLAY RACK i i t; 2 7;: 1:

TE '1 I; if??? u :3: ,5 [j 5 l6 lnweniaw @mjqge @Mowmald,

Patented June 19, 1923.

barren stares GEORGE G. MACDONALD, OF ELMHURST, NEW YORK,

GUIT COIwIPANY, OF LONG ISLAND CITY,

YORK.

insane Parent orrics.

CORRUGATED DISPLAY RACK.

Application filed March 25, 1922. Serial No. 546,721.

specification, like characters on the drawings representinglike parts.

This invention relates to packaging and displaying commodities, andparticularly but not exclusively to a display device for use withcontainers for holding confections, crackers or the like for shipmentand for more advantageous vending and distribution.

In order that the principle of the invention may be readily understood Ihave disclosed in the accompanying drawings a single embodiment chosenfor illustrative purposes.

In the drawings:

-Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a carton and contents in positionfor display;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in thedirection of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the display rack as it appears before folding;and

Fig; 4 is adetail view. y 3

In displaying commodities it has heretofore been necessary, so far as Iam aware, to incline the entire container, in a difiicult andunattractive manner or else to rearrange the articles in the shippingcarton by tilting a portion or all of the upper layer of artlclesbymeans of special trays or easels. My invention, however, contemplatespackaging the articles for shipment in position for display withoutrearrangement and enables the container to rest firmly in horizontalposition while displaying the contained articles at an attractive angle.

In the particular embodiment ofmy invention chosen for illustrativepurposes I have shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a carton lwhich may be ofpaste-board or other suitablematerial. Said carton or receptacle ispref-erably of the type having an attached flap cover indicated at 2.Said cover 2 is shown as foldablealong its transverse median line at 2enabling its lower edge to be, inserted within one end wall of thecarton or recepspaced longitudinally of the rack strip portionbetweeneach fold there are cut tacle. The folded cover thus forms aconASSIGNOR 'ro Loose WILES s snnw YORK, A oonronnrron on NEW venient flapor strip integral with the box or carton presenting an area forinscription or lettering for display purposes. The receptacle isproportioned, in the form shown, to receive adouble row of articles, orpackages of wafers, crackers or the like, of which I have indicated aplurality at 3,3, placed in 1 both transversely and longitudialignmentnally of the carton.

In order so to arrange the articles or packages 3 as to tageously fordisplay, holding the same in the shipping receptacle at an inclinationto the horizontal of approximately 45". To this end I have provided arack member 4 shown in assembled position in Fig. Said rack member 4 maybe formed of card- -board, fiber, or other suitablematerial, but

as shown is of cardboard of medium weight and thickness. rack member isformed from a sheet of such As best seen in Fig.8, said 1 present themmost advan= I provide means for 2 and in detail in Fig. 3,

suitable material substantially rectangular i in form which is foldedtransversely along parallel lines as indicated at 5. Said parallel linesor folds are preferablyequally out or stamped perforations, indicatedat'6. Said perforations 6 are shown in theform of elongated slots placedin alignment longiand in the I I tudinally of the rack member, andarranged along substantially the longitudinal median line of said rackmember.

Near one end the rack member is folded as at 7 to provide a strip 8 ofgreater dimension transversely of said strip portions formed by thefolds 5, said strip 8 preferably being of approximately the same widthas one of the articles or packages to be displayed. Beyond said strip 7the rack terminates in an end portion 9. of width intermediate betweenthat of the strip Sand the strip portions formed by the folds 5. y i

i In Fig. 2 I haveshown the rack member in folded form and placed withinthecarton than the strip i in position for receiving the articles to be1 proportioned In order to hold the rack in its folded position I haveprovided a rib or spacer 10 shown in detail in Fig. Said rib 10preferably is formed of a strip of cardboard folded along itslongitudinal median line as at 11 to form a two-ply strip or reenforcingmember V-shaped in. cross section. Al though I have shown said rib 10 asformed of cardboard, fiber, wood or other suitable material may beemployed. Said rib 10 is adapted to be inserted through the alignedslots 6, in which position it is frictionally held owing to the tendencyof the two plies or folds to separate. lVithin the scope of myinvention, however, a rib of single thick ness maybe employed. Thespacer or rib 10, when in folded form, is of a width slightly less thanthe length of the slots 6, said slots and rib being so positioned and asto hold the rack member f in its corrugated form with the walls orinclines of the alternate ridges and grooves mutually perpendicular.

In assembled position and as clearly shown in Fig. 2, the end portion 9of the corrugated rack rests against one end wall of the carton l withits lower edge in contact with the bottom of the same. In this mannerthe portion 8 is prevented from slipping down or becoming displaced whenthe articles or packages 3 are arranged upon the rack.

' According to my invention the rack is first folded to formcorrugations and the longitudinal frib inserted through the slots 6 toretain the rack in its folded position. Said assembly is. then placedwithin the carton and rests upon the bottom thereof. A layer of thearticles 3 to be shipped and displayed is then positioned upon the rack.Said articles are placed edgewise and at an inclina tion to thehorizontal and rest with their lower rear edge in the grooves of thecorrugated rack. As shown in the drawings, the articles or packages ofcrackers, wafers, or thelike are substantially rectangular in crosssection having a greater dimension transversely than in depth. Thearticles therefore overlap, each package acting in part as a support forthe following package starting at the rear of the carton, that is, atthe upper part of Fig. 1. The rearmost package or row of packages issupported by the wider strip portion 8 of the-rack. The lower layer ofarticles when positioned in the carton forms a series of grooves ortroughs equal in number to those formed in the rack. A second layer ofarticles is placed in said last-mentioned grooves or troughs, saidarticles also being placed edgewise and at an inclination to thehorizontal. Obviously, if desired, additional layers may be placed uponthe second layer, or but a single layer may be formed, depending uponthe size and proportions of the particular carton employed.

As is seen clearly in Fig. 1, the packages or articles 3 when inposition in the carton are in alignment longitudinally of the carton onebehind the other but with the upper portion of their front sides clearlyexposed to view, and are maintained in even spaced relation transverselyof the carton with their inner ends abutting the spacer or rib 10. Saidrib- 10 thus not only serves as a strengthening bar or brace for therack member, but also divides the rack into pockets or compartments eachadapted to receive one package. In the form shown I have provided fortwo longitudinal rows of packages separated by a single spacer or rib.Obviously, however, any desired number of additional rows may be placedwithin a carton depending upon the size thereof and of the packagesthemselves, in which case additional ribs would be provided to separateand evenly to space the longitudinal rows.

The carton is so proportioned as to receive the desired number of layersof articles or packages wholly within the confines of its sides orwalls. The articles or packages may therefore be arranged in the cartonin position for shipment and display and the cover of the carton closeddown without disturbing the arrangement of the packages. The packagesmay be and preferably are packed for shipment in the carton in theposition indicated in Fig. 9. and are thus in position for immediatedisplay upon the opening of the cover. No rearrangement or repacking ofthe carton isnecessary. The packages being arranged at an inclination ofapproximately 45 to the horizontal present their front sides at a mostadvantageous angle for display. I I

Having now described my invention it will be seen that I have provided acorrugated display rack which maybe readily placed within a carton orreceptacle and upon which the articles to be shipped may be quickly andeasily arranged at an angle rendering them attractive fordisplay'purposes. The articles may be packed and shipped in inclinedposition within the carton, which is then ready for immediate displayupon a store counter or in any other desired location. The positioningof the articles or packages at an inclination also renders them morereadily accessible for removal from the carton for vending anddistribution.

Obviously and within the scope of my invention, but less 'desirably, thearticles or packages may be packed for shipment in the ordinary way,that is, fiat, the rack being in such case unfolded and placed withinthe container, or accompanying it. Upon receipt of the carton so packedthe rack would then be folded and installed and theproper number ofarticles or packages placed at an inclination thereon. I prefer,however, to

pack and ship the articles arranged at an angle within the container inposition for immediate display.

I desire it to be understood that although specific terms are employedin the description of the illustrative embodiment of my ticles, acorrugated member 4: adapted to be placed in the carton or receptacleand to rest upon the bottom thereof,said member having a series ofaligned openings 6, and a longitudinally folded rib 1O frictionally heldwithin said openings thereby to maintain constant the angle betweencorrugations of said member.

2. In combination with a carton or other receptacle for packaging anddisplaying articles, a corrugated member having mutually perpendicularwalls forming right angled troughs and adapted to be placed in thecarton or receptacle and to rest upon the bottom thereof, alignedopenings in said walls, a longitudinally folded strip frictionallyengaged in said openings thereby to maintain said angular relation ofthe walls and one or more layers of articles supported in the troughs ofsaid corrugated member at an inclination of approximately to thehorizontal.

3. A display rack adapted to be placed within a carton or container,comprising a sheet member folded transversely to form alternate ridgesand grooves the inclined walls whereof enclose angles of approximately90, said member having at one end a portion forming a ridge of greaterheight and width than the remaining ridges and having a vertlcal walladapted to rest flat wise against one end wall of the container,

said slots and abutting at one end a wall of.

the container and at the other end the inner surface of said verticalwall of the rack member thereby to hold the rack in folded position.

i. A blank for a display rack formed of sheet material, a series oftransverse, parallel folds 5 on said blank and spaced apart equaldistances, a transverse fold 7 near one end of the blank, parallel withsaid folds 5 and forming transverse strip portions 8 and 9 of unequalwidth but both wider than the strip portions between said first namedfolds, and aligned cut out portions 6 formed in said strip portionsbetween the folds 5, and also in said strip portion 8, said cut-outportions adapted to receive therethrough when the blank is collapsed arib member 10 for holding the blank in folded position.

5. In combination with a carton or other receptacle for packaging anddisplaying articles, a rack adapted tobe placed in the carton orreceptacle and to rest upon the bottom thereof, said rack comprising asheet member folded transversely to form alternate ridges and grooves,the inclined walls whereof enclose angles of approximately 90, saidinclined walls being of a width less than the width of the articles,said member having at one end a ridge having an inclined wall of a widthsubstantially equal to the width of the articles and a vertical wallresting fiatwise against an end wall of the container, a series ofaligned slots in said inclined walls and a rib frictionally engaged insaid slots to maintain the desired angular relation of said inclinedwalls In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

. GEORGE C. MACDONALD.

